# SDR Backend Requirements This document specifies the requirements for a SoapySDR-based RX-only backend (`trx-backend-soapysdr`) and the associated IQ-to-audio pipeline changes in `trx-server`. --- ## Progress > **For AI agents:** This section is the single source of truth for implementation status. > Each task has a unique ID (e.g. `SDR-01`), a status badge, a description, the files it touches, and any blocking dependencies. > Pick any task whose status is `[ ]` and whose `Needs` list is fully `[x]`. Update status to `[~]` while working, `[x]` when merged. Record notes under the task if you hit non-obvious issues. > > Status legend: `[ ]` not started · `[~]` in progress · `[x]` done · `[!]` blocked ### Foundational (must land first) | ID | Status | Task | Touches | |----|--------|------|---------| | SDR-01 | `[ ]` | Add `AudioSource` trait to `trx-core`; add `as_audio_source()` default on `RigCat` | `src/trx-core/src/rig/mod.rs` | | SDR-02 | `[x]` | Add `RigAccess::Sdr { args: String }` variant; register `soapysdr` factory (feature-gated `soapysdr`) | `src/trx-server/trx-backend/src/lib.rs` | | SDR-03 | `[ ]` | Add `SdrConfig`, `SdrGainConfig`, `SdrChannelConfig` structs; parse `type = "sdr"` in `AccessConfig`; add `sdr: SdrConfig` to `ServerConfig`; add startup validation rules (§11) | `src/trx-server/src/config.rs` | ### New crate: `trx-backend-soapysdr` | ID | Status | Task | Touches | Needs | |----|--------|------|---------|-------| | SDR-04 | `[ ]` | Create crate scaffold: `Cargo.toml` (deps: `soapysdr`, `num-complex`, `tokio`), empty `lib.rs` | `src/trx-server/trx-backend/trx-backend-soapysdr/` | SDR-01, SDR-02 | | SDR-05 | `[ ]` | Implement `demod.rs`: SSB (USB/LSB), AM envelope, FM quadrature, CW narrow BPF+envelope | `…/src/demod.rs` | SDR-04 | | SDR-06 | `[ ]` | Implement `dsp.rs`: IQ broadcast loop (SoapySDR read thread → `broadcast::Sender>>`); per-channel mixer → FIR LPF → decimator → demod → frame accumulator → `broadcast::Sender>` | `…/src/dsp.rs` | SDR-04, SDR-05 | | SDR-07 | `[ ]` | Implement `SoapySdrRig` in `lib.rs`: `RigCat` (RX methods + `not_supported` stubs for TX), `AudioSource`, gain control (manual/auto with fallback), primary channel freq/mode tracking | `…/src/lib.rs` | SDR-03, SDR-06 | ### Server integration | ID | Status | Task | Touches | Needs | |----|--------|------|---------|-------| | SDR-08 | `[ ]` | `main.rs`: after building rig, if `as_audio_source()` is `Some` skip cpal, subscribe each decoder and the Opus encoder to the appropriate channel PCM senders; validate `stream_opus` count ≤ 1 | `src/trx-server/src/main.rs` | SDR-03, SDR-07 | | SDR-09 | `[ ]` | Add `trx-backend-soapysdr` to workspace `Cargo.toml`; update `CONFIGURATION.md` with new `[sdr]` / `[[sdr.channels]]` options | `Cargo.toml`, `CONFIGURATION.md` | SDR-04 | ### Validation & tests | ID | Status | Task | Touches | Needs | |----|--------|------|---------|-------| | SDR-10 | `[ ]` | Unit tests for `demod.rs`: known-input tone through each demodulator, check output frequency correct | `…/src/demod.rs` | SDR-05 | | SDR-11 | `[ ]` | Unit tests for config validation: channel IF out-of-range, dual `stream_opus`, TX enabled with SDR backend, AGC fallback warning | `src/trx-server/src/config.rs` | SDR-03 | --- ## Goals - Receive-only backend that uses any SoapySDR-compatible device (RTL-SDR, Airspy, HackRF, SDRplay, etc.) as the rig - Full IQ pipeline: raw IQ samples → demodulated PCM → existing decoders (FT8, WSPR, APRS, CW) with zero decoder-side changes - Wideband capture: one SDR IQ stream feeds multiple simultaneous virtual receivers, each independently tuned and demodulated - Configurable per-channel filters and demodulation modes - Demodulated audio streamed to clients as Opus over the existing TCP audio channel --- ## Non-Goals - Transmit (TX/PTT) of any kind - Replacing or deprecating the existing cpal-based audio path (it stays for transceiver backends) --- ## 1. Device Abstraction ### 1.1 `RigAccess` extension A new access type `sdr` is added alongside `serial` and `tcp`: ```toml [rig.access] type = "sdr" args = "driver=rtlsdr" # SoapySDR device args string ``` The `args` value is passed verbatim to `SoapySDR::Device::new(args)`. It follows SoapySDR's key=value comma-separated convention (e.g., `driver=airspy`, `driver=rtlsdr,serial=00000001`). ### 1.2 `AudioSource` trait A new trait is added to `trx-core` (`src/trx-core/src/rig/mod.rs`): ```rust pub trait AudioSource: Send + Sync { /// Subscribe to demodulated PCM audio from the primary channel. fn subscribe_pcm(&self) -> broadcast::Receiver>; } ``` `RigCat` gains a default opt-in method: ```rust pub trait RigCat: Rig + Send { // ... existing methods ... fn as_audio_source(&self) -> Option<&dyn AudioSource> { None } } ``` `SoapySdrRig` overrides `as_audio_source()` to return `Some(self)`. When the server detects this, it skips spawning the cpal capture thread entirely. ### 1.3 TX-only `RigCat` methods The following methods return `RigError::not_supported(...)` on the SDR backend: - `set_ptt()` - `power_on()` / `power_off()` - `get_tx_power()` - `get_tx_limit()` / `set_tx_limit()` - `toggle_vfo()` (not applicable; channels are defined statically in config) - `lock()` / `unlock()` The following methods are fully supported: - `get_status()` → returns primary channel's current `(freq, mode, None)` - `set_freq()` → re-tunes the SDR center frequency (keeping `center_offset_hz` invariant) and updates all channel mixer offsets - `set_mode()` → changes the primary channel's demodulator - `get_signal_strength()` → returns instantaneous RSSI for the primary channel (dBFS mapped to 0–255 S-unit range) --- ## 2. IQ Pipeline Architecture ### 2.1 Center frequency offset SDR hardware has a DC offset spur at exactly 0 Hz in the IQ spectrum. To keep the primary channel off DC, the SDR is tuned to a frequency offset from the desired dial frequency: ``` sdr_center_freq = dial_freq - center_offset_hz ``` With `center_offset_hz = 200000` and dial freq 14.074 MHz, the SDR tunes to 13.874 MHz. The 14.074 MHz signal appears at +200 kHz in the IQ spectrum and is mixed down to baseband in software. `center_offset_hz` is a global SDR parameter (not per-channel). A reasonable default is `100000` (100 kHz). ### 2.2 Wideband channel model One SoapySDR RX stream produces IQ samples at `sdr.sample_rate` (e.g. 1.92 MHz). This stream is shared among all configured channels. Each channel defines an independent virtual receiver: ``` SoapySDR RX stream (complex f32, sdr_sample_rate Hz) │ ├──► Channel 0 (primary) offset_hz=0, mode=USB, bw=3000 Hz ├──► Channel 1 (wspr) offset_hz=+21600, mode=USB, bw=3000 Hz └──► Channel N ... ``` A **channel's frequency** in the real spectrum is: ``` channel_real_freq = dial_freq + channel.offset_hz ``` A **channel's IF frequency** within the IQ stream is: ``` channel_if_hz = center_offset_hz + channel.offset_hz ``` This is the frequency at which the channel's signal appears in the captured IQ bandwidth, and is what the channel's mixer shifts to baseband. **Constraint:** `|channel_if_hz|` must be less than `sdr_sample_rate / 2` for every channel. The server validates this at startup and rejects invalid configs. ### 2.3 Per-channel DSP chain Each channel runs the following stages independently on the shared IQ stream: ``` IQ input (complex f32, sdr_sample_rate) 1. Mixer: multiply by exp(-j·2π·channel_if_hz·n/sdr_sample_rate) → complex f32 centred at 0 Hz 2. FIR LPF: cutoff = audio_bandwidth_hz / 2, order configurable 3. Decimator: sdr_sample_rate / audio_sample_rate (must be integer; resampler used otherwise) 4. Demodulator (mode-dependent, see §3) 5. Output: real f32 at audio_sample_rate 6. Frame accumulator: chunks of frame_duration_ms 7. broadcast::Sender> → decoders + optional Opus encoder ``` Channels run concurrently in separate tasks, all reading from the same raw IQ broadcast channel. ### 2.4 IQ broadcast channel The SoapySDR read loop runs in a dedicated OS thread (matching the existing cpal thread model). It reads IQ sample blocks from the device and publishes them on: ```rust broadcast::Sender>> // capacity: configurable, default 64 blocks ``` Each channel task subscribes to this sender. Lagged receivers log a warning and continue. --- ## 3. Demodulators Demodulator is selected per-channel based on `mode`. Modes map as follows: | `RigMode` | Demodulator | |-----------|-------------| | `USB` | SSB: mix to IF, take real part (upper sideband) | | `LSB` | SSB: mix to IF, take real part (lower sideband, negate IF) | | `AM` | Envelope detector: `sqrt(I² + Q²)`, DC-remove, normalize | | `FM` | Quadrature: `arg(s[n] · conj(s[n-1]))`, i.e. instantaneous frequency | | `WFM` | Same as FM, wider pre-demod filter (`wfm_bandwidth_hz`) | | `CW` | Narrow BPF centred at `cw_center_hz` (audio domain), then envelope | | `DIG`/`PKT` | Same as USB (pass audio through for downstream digital decoders) | | `CWR` | Same as CW (reversed sideband, uses same audio envelope) | For SSB modes (USB/LSB), after mixing to baseband the channel's `audio_bandwidth_hz` defines the one-sided cutoff of the post-demod LPF. --- ## 4. Gain Control Gain is configured globally under `[sdr.gain]`. ```toml [sdr.gain] mode = "auto" # "auto" (AGC via SoapySDR) or "manual" value = 30.0 # dB; ignored when mode = "auto" ``` - **`auto`**: calls `device.set_gain_mode(SOAPY_SDR_RX, 0, true)` to enable hardware AGC if the device supports it. If the device does not support hardware AGC, falls back to `manual` with a warning. - **`manual`**: calls `device.set_gain(SOAPY_SDR_RX, 0, value)` with the specified total gain in dB. Advanced per-element gain is out of scope for this phase (no `lna`/`vga`/`if` sub-keys initially). --- ## 5. Filter Configuration Filters are configured per-channel. The following are settable: ```toml [[sdr.channels]] audio_bandwidth_hz = 3000 # One-sided bandwidth of post-demod BPF (Hz) # For FM: deviation hint for deemphasis fir_taps = 64 # FIR filter tap count (default 64); higher = sharper roll-off cw_center_hz = 700 # CW tone centre in audio domain (default 700 Hz) wfm_bandwidth_hz = 75000 # Pre-demod bandwidth for WFM only (default 75 kHz) ``` `fir_taps` controls the same FIR used in stage 2 of the DSP chain (§2.3). It applies uniformly to both the pre-demod decimation filter and the post-demod audio BPF in this phase. --- ## 6. Channel Configuration and Decoder Binding Channels are declared as a TOML array. The first channel in the list is the **primary channel** and is the one exposed via `RigCat` (`set_freq`/`set_mode` affect it; `get_status` reads from it). ```toml [[sdr.channels]] id = "primary" # Identifier, used in logs offset_hz = 0 # Offset from dial frequency (Hz) mode = "auto" # "auto" = follows RigCat set_mode; or fixed RigMode string audio_bandwidth_hz = 3000 fir_taps = 64 decoders = ["ft8", "cw"] # Which decoders receive this channel's PCM stream_opus = true # Encode and stream via TCP audio channel [[sdr.channels]] id = "wspr-14" offset_hz = 21600 # 14.0956 MHz when dial = 14.074 MHz mode = "USB" # Fixed mode, ignores RigCat set_mode audio_bandwidth_hz = 3000 decoders = ["wspr"] stream_opus = false [[sdr.channels]] id = "aprs" offset_hz = -673600 # e.g. 144.390 MHz when dial = 145.0635 MHz mode = "FM" audio_bandwidth_hz = 8000 decoders = ["aprs"] stream_opus = false ``` **`mode = "auto"`** means the channel's demodulator tracks whatever `set_mode()` last set on the backend. Only the primary channel should use `"auto"` in typical use. **`decoders`** maps to the decoder task IDs: `"ft8"`, `"wspr"`, `"aprs"`, `"cw"`. Each named decoder subscribes to the PCM broadcast channel of the listed channel(s). A decoder can only be bound to one channel (first binding wins if duplicated). --- ## 7. Opus Streaming Channels with `stream_opus = true` have their demodulated PCM Opus-encoded and streamed over the server's existing TCP audio port (default 4531). For this phase, only **one channel** may have `stream_opus = true` (validation error otherwise). This channel's Opus stream replaces what cpal would have produced — the TCP audio protocol and client-side handling are unchanged. The Opus encoder uses the `[audio]` config for `frame_duration_ms`, `bitrate_bps`, and `sample_rate`. The SDR pipeline must output PCM at the same `sample_rate` as `[audio]`; a mismatch is a startup validation error. --- ## 8. Full Configuration Example ```toml [rig] model = "soapysdr" initial_freq_hz = 14074000 initial_mode = "USB" [rig.access] type = "sdr" args = "driver=rtlsdr" [sdr] sample_rate = 1920000 # IQ capture rate (Hz) — must be supported by device bandwidth = 1500000 # Hardware IF filter (Hz) center_offset_hz = 200000 # SDR tunes this many Hz below dial frequency [sdr.gain] mode = "auto" value = 30.0 # Effective only when mode = "manual" [[sdr.channels]] id = "primary" offset_hz = 0 mode = "auto" audio_bandwidth_hz = 3000 fir_taps = 64 decoders = ["ft8", "cw"] stream_opus = true [[sdr.channels]] id = "wspr" offset_hz = 21600 mode = "USB" audio_bandwidth_hz = 3000 decoders = ["wspr"] stream_opus = false [audio] enabled = true listen = "127.0.0.1" port = 4531 rx_enabled = true tx_enabled = false # No TX on SDR backend sample_rate = 48000 channels = 1 frame_duration_ms = 20 bitrate_bps = 24000 ``` --- ## 9. Code Changes Map | File | Change | |------|--------| | `Cargo.toml` (workspace) | Add `src/trx-server/trx-backend/trx-backend-soapysdr` member | | `src/trx-core/src/rig/mod.rs` | Add `AudioSource` trait; add `as_audio_source()` default to `RigCat` | | `src/trx-server/trx-backend/src/lib.rs` | Add `RigAccess::Sdr { args }` variant; register `soapysdr` factory (feature-gated) | | `src/trx-server/src/config.rs` | Add `SdrConfig`, `SdrGainConfig`, `SdrChannelConfig`; parse `type = "sdr"` in `AccessConfig`; add `sdr: SdrConfig` to `ServerConfig` | | `src/trx-server/src/main.rs` | After building rig: if `as_audio_source()` is `Some`, skip cpal, use `AudioSource::subscribe_pcm()` for each decoder and for the Opus encoder; validate at most one `stream_opus = true` channel | | `src/trx-server/src/audio.rs` | Expose `spawn_audio_capture` and `run_*_decoder` without assuming cpal as the sole source; no functional change needed — decoders already take `broadcast::Receiver>` | | `src/trx-server/trx-backend/trx-backend-soapysdr/Cargo.toml` | New crate | | `src/trx-server/trx-backend/trx-backend-soapysdr/src/lib.rs` | `SoapySdrRig`: implements `RigCat` + `AudioSource`; spawns IQ read thread and channel DSP tasks | | `src/trx-server/trx-backend/trx-backend-soapysdr/src/dsp.rs` | IQ broadcast loop; per-channel mixer, FIR, decimator, demodulator, frame accumulator | | `src/trx-server/trx-backend/trx-backend-soapysdr/src/demod.rs` | Mode-specific demodulators: SSB, AM envelope, FM quadrature, CW envelope | | `CONFIGURATION.md` | Document new `[rig.access] type = "sdr"`, `[sdr]`, `[[sdr.channels]]` options | --- ## 10. External Dependencies | Crate | Purpose | |-------|---------| | `soapysdr` | Rust bindings to `libSoapySDR` (C++) | | `num-complex` | `Complex` for IQ arithmetic | System requirement: `libSoapySDR` installed (e.g. `brew install soapysdr` on macOS, `libsoapysdr-dev` on Debian/Ubuntu). --- ## 11. Validation Rules (startup) - `[rig.access] type = "sdr"` requires `args` to be non-empty. - `[sdr] sample_rate` must be non-zero. - For every channel: `|center_offset_hz + channel.offset_hz| < sdr_sample_rate / 2`. - Exactly one channel must have `stream_opus = true` (or none; zero means no TCP audio stream). - The audio `sample_rate` in `[audio]` must equal the target audio rate in the SDR pipeline (no cross-rate mismatch). - `[audio] tx_enabled` must be `false` when `model = "soapysdr"`. - A decoder name may appear in at most one channel's `decoders` list. - If the device does not support hardware AGC and `gain.mode = "auto"`, warn and fall back to `manual` using `gain.value`.